The present invention generally relates to a enteral feeding system, more specifically, relates to a device, methods and system for a enteral feeding system that triggers an operational response and an alert of a medical risk for aspirational pneumonia when an enteral pump is delivering liquid nutrients to a patient and an angle of the head gatch section is outside a predetermined range.
Enteral feeding is used for patients who are unable to eat normally. An enteral feeding pump is typically used to pump liquid nutrient directly into the gastro-intestinal tract from a source container. While the use of an enteral feeding pump is a common device for delivering a liquid nutrient to a patient, complications can arise during the feeding.
In particular, one of these complications is aspirational pneumonia. Typically, aspirational pneumonia occurs when a patient's bed is positioned at an angle sufficient to allow the patient's gastric fluids to ascend the esophagus and be inhaled into the lungs. When the bed angle reaches this point, the stomach contents are able to percolate up through the esophagus and down into the lungs. When the enteral feeding pump continues to deliver liquid nutrients, despite the undesired low bed angle, it increases the medical risk of aspirational pneumonia.
Current practice utilizes an “IV pole” which is a free-standing pole to which the enteral pump is attached at about midlength and from which a bag or bottle container is hung from the top-mounted hook. Tubing from the container is routed through the pump and connected to the patient being fed. Many patients who are fed this way receive the liquid nutrition while lying in a bed.
A popular bed type, for patients requiring this feeding method, is a “hospital” bed which has the feature which allows the head end of the bed to be elevated. It is commonly recommended that while patients are receiving liquid nutrient, the head or gatch of the bed is elevated, usually to an angle of 30-45 degrees. The purpose of this is to prevent the reverse flow of liquid nutrient from the stomach, up the esophagus, and then potentially into the trachia. This can lead to respiratory distress and possibly aspiration pneumonia. This is a well known problem and has been the subject of several scientific publications.
From the literature, it is clear that the procedure to elevate the bed is not always followed in all patient settings. It is also clear that the occurrence of aspiration events associated with enteral feeding are greatly underreported due to its lack of obvious immediate effects, especially in patients who lack cognition.
Therefore, there remains a need in the prior art for an enteral feeding system that reduces the risk of aspirational pneumonia.